Vietnam Escalation timeline

Truman Doctrine is conceived

Mar 12, 1945

Truman Doctrine stated America would counter Soviet influence during the Cold War. Indochina was one of the areas affected.

Kennedy orders Green Berets to South Vietnam

1961

JFK ordered around 500 U.S. troops to South Vietnam. 400 are Special Forces/Green Berets, the rest advisors.

American helicopters land in Vietnam

Dec 11, 1961

First ground troops land in Vietnam. Not necessarily to fight, just to gather intel on the neighbors upstairs.

LBJ elected, sends some troops to Vietnam

1963

LBJ elected on November 22nd 1963, after JFK is assassinated. In the following months, he sends more troops to accompany the Green Berets.

Gulf of Tonkin date 1

Aug 2, 1964

Americans shoot at Vietnamese boats, they shoot back, and a fight begins. We were originally gathering intel, when the Vietnamese came to check what we were doing.

Gulf of Tonkin fluke

Aug 4, 1964

We think we were attacked during the night, causes Washington to freak out and officially send troops over.

LBJ tv address

Aug 4, 1964

LBJ addresses the nation on tv to tell everyone about what happened in the Tonkin Gulf, starts initiative to send troops over.

Gulf of Tonkin resolution

Aug 7, 1964

GOT Resolution states that America will fight to stop communism at any cost, and won't leave until communism is defeated.

Operation Rolling Thunder set in motion

Mar 2, 1965

Plan to bomb out Vietnam, in hopes they'll stop being communists. Doesn't work, because they bomb our planes when they're parked at night.

LBJ sends troops over to Vietnam

Mar 6, 1965

First ground troops in Vietnam sent over with fighting communists in mind.